sleepy/tired - temporary side effects of starting to lift heavy/heavier?

[Candiceena]

Hi Cathe - or anyone who can answer!

I've just started XTrain and am wondering about the temporary side effects that come w/ lifting heavy (or, at least heavy to me, compared to what I was used to).

I am on Day 2 and feel tired! Not necessarily a bad thing because God knows I could stand to get some sleep, but is this normal? Should I lift lighter? Eat something specific?

I know and understand the temporary "weight gain" concept (the muscles retaining water) and am aware and prepared if/when that happens. So on that front all is good.

I'm also feeling hungrier. I'm not surprised because obviously my body is working much harder than it is used to. What would be a good snack that you could recommend after dinner but before bed? Say right now, at 8 PM, I'm feeling hungry (and it's honest hunger - not craving). Should I eat an apple? A slice of whole wheat toast w/ peanut butter? Or is it better to fight thru the hunger and go to bed a little hungrier?

(My specs if you need it are 25 yrs old, 5'5, about 165 lbs, beginner exerciser (I've been away for a while) and no dietary restrictions)

 

[Soapmaker]

What you are experiencing is the Thanksgiving meal sleepy effect. What happens after you work your muscles and eat a mix of carbs and protein is a differential uptake of amino acids. Your muscles will take up the branched amino acids preferentially leaving more tryptophan for the brain. Once tryptophan hits the brain, it starts making melatonin among other things which makes you sleepy. This is absolutely normal. You will notice it more if you have been sleep deprived. It will balance itself out once you get enough rest. The extra tryptophan in the brain will also take care of your hunger (same pathway as the melatonin). You can use it to figure out how much food you need to keep your body happy and healthy. I workout right before going to bed specifically so I can get my sleep. It works every time. It also keeps my appetite under control.

If you haven't been sleeping enough, it may be that you are not generally getting enough protein. If you are cutting your calories, you shouldn't cut your protein. It is an essential macronutrient that the body can't make on its own. The lower your caloric intake, the higher the proportion of calories from protein. It may be a good idea to add an extra 20g and see how you feel. It may take care of your hunger. Hunger is the body's way of telling you it is missing some nutrients, not necessarily calories.

My favorite after workout meal is homemade yogurt cheese on a slice of high fiber homemade bread with some fresh vegetables. For extra protein, I like to put 2 tbs of good quality nutritional yeast in a cup of broth. It is low in calories and high in nutrition. It is a great mid-afternoon snack.

 

[Burning2]

Soap maker, thank you for all of that quality information. Are you a nutritionist or in the medical field, or biology or is it something you enjoy researching and reading about and then passing on the information?

Again thank you.

 

[Candiceena]

Soapmaker, thank you for that great info!! That makes me feel a lot better, having some science behind the understanding of what I'm experiencing!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Candiceena!

Congratulations on starting your new Xtrain workout program. If this heavier weight is a totally new way of lifting for you and you are feeling fatigued by day two then I would say you are probably starting out a little too aggressively (which is pretty normal due to excitement) and you just need to pull back on your intensity a bit while your body acclimates. Don't get me wrong, shocking your body with a new workout routine is a GOOD thing, but if you enter it too aggressively to where you are noticing you are extreme fatigue, just pull back on the reigns a bit so that you don't over stress your immune system or put yourself at risk for injury or over training. You can pull back by either going from every day to every other day or even every third day until your body acclimates. Or if you workout daily, start with lighter weights then what's currently causing you the fatigue.

Also, drink water water water!!! One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is fatigue so if you’re feeling tired after a workout the fix could be as simple as drinking more water.


Another thing you want to look at is your food intake. Make sure that your taking in enough calories to support your extra effort (especially on your workout days) or you will get fatigued very quickly. Try to eat balanced meals every couple of hours so your body can properly convert glucose into glycogen. http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/feeling-tired-day-after-workout-5256.htmlIf you don't consume enough carbohydrates before exercising your glycogen stores will burn up quickly resulting in fatigue. Then within an hour after your workout be sure to get enough protein to support your recovery and muscle repair. I usually have a protein shake at this time. It doesn't have to be this big fancy smoothie. You can simply stir a scoop of whey protein powder in a glass of non fat milk or water and let the "healing" begin.

If you are feeling hungry before bed (as you said the real deal hunger, no cravings) then definitely eat. This is where I like to have a healthy smoothie because it provides a good balance of quality nutrition, low carbs and good protein to support the healing process and give your muscles the proper energy to do it all over again the next day or the day after.

One of my favorite protein smoothies is....

Blueberry Banana Blast:

• 1 fresh or frozen banana, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 6 ounces plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 tablespoon ground flax (or chia) seeds
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar, or to taste
• I scoop whey factors french vanilla protein powder.
• 1/2 cup ice cubes, (optional)

Good Luck and keep me posted!

Hi Cathe - or anyone who can answer!

I've just started XTrain and am wondering about the temporary side effects that come w/ lifting heavy (or, at least heavy to me, compared to what I was used to).

I am on Day 2 and feel tired! Not necessarily a bad thing because God knows I could stand to get some sleep, but is this normal? Should I lift lighter? Eat something specific?

I know and understand the temporary "weight gain" concept (the muscles retaining water) and am aware and prepared if/when that happens. So on that front all is good.

I'm also feeling hungrier. I'm not surprised because obviously my body is working much harder than it is used to. What would be a good snack that you could recommend after dinner but before bed? Say right now, at 8 PM, I'm feeling hungry (and it's honest hunger - not craving). Should I eat an apple? A slice of whole wheat toast w/ peanut butter? Or is it better to fight thru the hunger and go to bed a little hungrier?

(My specs if you need it are 25 yrs old, 5'5, about 165 lbs, beginner exerciser (I've been away for a while) and no dietary restrictions)

 

[Candiceena]

Thank you Cathe!! That is great advice!! I will definitely keep that in mind and might lighten up my weights or maybe go every other day or every 2 days for weeks 1 and 2 just to ease into things. Better to start slowly but surely than hurt myself overtraining That smoothie sounds and looks delicious!! Thank you for that recipe!

 

[Soapmaker]

Soap maker, thank you for all of that quality information. Are you a nutritionist or in the medical field, or biology or is it something you enjoy researching and reading about and then passing on the information?

Again thank you.

I have an advanced degree in biology and I work in medical research (unrelated to nutrition). My interest in fitness and nutrition is narrow and limited to questions and situations I (or one of my friends) encounter in daily life. I post about subjects I researched for myself which may apply to another person. In any case, the effect of exercise on how our bodies process and utilize food is fascinating to me.

 

[tlc93]

Me too Soapmaker! I don't have the education you do but I work in the medical field ( I am an R.N.) I have loooong been intrigued by how our bodies maintain homeostasis, including what happens on the cellular level with food and activity, good or bad. High intensity, steady state, fatty food, clean diet etc. It can be really confusing when you're doing your best but you are also human and enjoy a hot fudge Sunday once in a while. Then....just for kicks.....add a medical issue (high blood pressure, diabetes and so on). Throw in a bit of fatigue and its easy to see why some folks call it quits with the workouts. Thanks for the info!

 

[Burning2]

Thanks again Soapmaker, your info is valued and it made so much sense. Added to what Cathe had written which was more on the physical end of feeling tired,your information hit more on the cellular level. And now we have the whole package.

Thank you